MINI CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI POT PIES

A friend of mine, Debbie Holst Gutierrez, alerted me to the fact that it was National "Pi" Day.  Not your ordinary Pie day, but she was making this really scrumptious looking Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Oreo Pie,  Well this got me to thinking that I should "celebrate" this day too.  And that is why I ended up making these little delights.

I saw these the other day on Giada At Home, and since my 2 year old grandson, Alex, loves chicken and he loves broccoli, I thought these would be the perfect little bite-sized pot pies for his little hands.  He didn't eat one because he saw his other "love" on the counter moments before we ate....Macaroni and Cheese....it wins out everytime.  Oh well, I enjoyed making them and they were packed with really fabulous flavors.

I will say that these are a little time consuming so if you do not have time, just go ahead and using this filling to making one big pot pie. You will have to cook longer...maybe 30-45 minutes and probably back the heat down a little, but they would still be good.  In fact, I did both.  I doubled this recipe and made the mini's, and also made some individual pot pies that would feed 2 a piece.  I served this with a fruit salad but I think carrots would be great too.

They looked like little mini-quiches.  Wouldn't these be cute for a brunch or a bridal/baby shower?  I think they would be cute to announce that you are having a baby and make everything on the plate little, like little baby carrots, little new potatoes, etc.  They would also be perfect if you were announcing that you were having a new little grandbaby like I am!!

YES!!!! I AM HAVING A NEW GRANDBABY!!!

AND IT IS A BOY!!!!

AND HE IS DUE IN SEPTEMBER!!!

How is that for an announcement?? Haha!!

My daughter, Crystal and her boyfriend Ryan are expecting their first baby boy mid-September.  We are over the moon excited about this new little blessing that is on his precious little way.  This Nannie's heart swells every time I think about it!

I think your kids will  love these, but I loved them just as much....and the extra bonus was that I am expecting a very wonderful package in September!!  Love to you all!

MINI CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI POT PIES
(Makes 12 Minis)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 Box of Refrigerated Pie Dough (2 10-inch pie rounds...I used Pillsbury)
2 tablespoons Flour
2 tablespoons Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
3/4 - 1 cup Whole Milk, room temperature
1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan Cheese (fresh grated is the best)
Salt and Pepper to your liking
1 cup Rotisserie Chicken Breast, chopped small
1 cup fresh Broccoli, steamed and chopped small
1 egg, beaten

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add your garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute to remove the raw flour taste.

Whisk in the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.  Stir until thickened like a gravy.

Add the Parmesan Cheese and stir to combine.

Taste now to see if you need more salt.  Add pepper to your liking.

Add the chicken and the broccoli.  Stir to coat the pieces.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds.

Using a 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds.

Grease your mini muffin pan.  I use spray Olive Oil.

Place one 3 inch round in each hole of the miniature muffin pan and work to make sure it is even and comes out of the opening at the top a little all around.  Lightly flatten the edges.

Put a small amount of chicken/broccoli filling in each hole.  Not too much, because you do not want that coming out.

Using a pastry brush, brush some of the egg mixture around the flattened edges and place the 2 inch round piece of pastry on top.  The egg acts like a glue.  Lightly, mash to seal the edges.  After this step, you could use a fork to lightly make marks all around the edge....it just looks cute.

Brush a little more of the beaten egg on top.  It turns the top a beautiful, golden brown when baking.

Next, make a slit on top of each mini pot pie so that the steam can escape while cooking.

Place in the oven for 15-18 minutes.

When they come out, I would let them rest for about 5 minutes before attempting to remove them from the muffin pan.  When they are cool, they come out perfectly but when they are hot, they need a little coaxing.

I just got a small pan and placed it gently on top of the muffins, so not to mash them.  Then I flipped them slowly upside-down and just left them like that for about 30 seconds.  There may be some that are stubborn so if you can wait just a few more minutes, they should come right out or you can try "helping" out of their spots.

And there you go, little mini Chicken and Broccoli Pot Pies.

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE